“The North American Review would like you to write an article on the demise of Lone Mountain College,” my friend Chester Aaron said. And so began the long journey that led to the publication of Slipsliding by the Bay. The...

In a few weeks I’ll head up the coast to Mendocino County for a writers conference. This is part of a new and deeper commitment to my work, and it’s the next of many crossroads in my life. I haven’t been there in years now, but...

“ He has a (pause) lisp, I think.” I have said this, one eye closed in concentration as I scrutinize the talking head I am observing on TV. I am the self appointed speech police because I have a marked lisp. When I am looking in a mirror...

Christina Baker Kline is sharing brief capsule pieces exclusively with the She Writes community. Each piece is part of the larger series she's sharing with us. This is her third piece. See the rest of the series here. When I'm developing...

A universal challenge among writers asks, “How can I fit writing time into my busy day?” I begin my day with this question and end it in assessing if, indeed, I did fit it in. Recently, I reviewed my week to see how I did this and came...

I was sitting on a panel at a writing conference when an audience member asked a great question: should he write his book to be more publishable (in his mind, that meant rosy and optimistic) or stay true to his own perspective (a little more...